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A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR RAF FAMILIES HEALTH & LIFESTYLE


it has to be recognised that the country’s Armed Forces are drawn from the general population and will drink for many of the same reasons as the rest of that population.


Drinking alcohol is a strong social norm in the UK, and alcohol is used to socialise and relax, as well as to celebrate, commiserate and manage stress. Average alcohol consumption per head has more or less doubled in the UK since the 1950s, and overconsumption is endemic.


It would be remarkable if the national pattern were not seen in the Armed Forces. However, certain factors specific to the Armed Forces also seem to be at work:


• Recruitment for the Armed Forces tends to be weighted towards high risk groups for alcohol misuse, typically young, single males as well as recruits from relatively deprived socio-economic backgrounds.


• Strong group camaraderie and bonding, as well as close-knit social interaction all create an environment conducive to higher consumption levels. The official and unofficial rituals of military life may often involve alcohol.


• Stress related to deployment can increase alcohol consumption, possibly leading to a pattern of longer-term heavier drinking. Troops returning from an operational theatre are 22% more likely to have an alcohol problem than those who haven’t been deployed, and the MoD has acknowledged that ‘alcohol misuse is a serious problem and increased use is associated with operational deployment’.


• Conversely, alcohol may be a means to relieve boredom during extended periods when not on active service.


• Excessive drinking amongst some servicewomen may be a result of peer pressure to keep up with male colleagues.


• The availability of cheap alcohol on some military units may provide an encouragement to drinking. Price and availability are both key factors in levels of alcohol consumption, and this is a true of service personnel as of anyone else.


The Armed Forces’ response The British Armed Forces have various policies and guidance on the use of alcohol:


• The Army states that it is not anti-alcohol but that drinking ‘must not be at the expense of operational capability’. It also notes certain circumstances in which service personnel must have no alcohol in their blood: range work, guard work, handling machinery and other safety critical duties.


www.raf-ff.org.uk


• A number of unofficial policies are in place to help commanders moderate alcohol consumption within their units: for example, the ‘two-can rule’ (a maximum of two cans of beer per night).


• The RAF has discouraged lunchtime drinking for many years and has moved to establish alcohol-free meeting venues on RAF stations, such as coffee shops.


For those experiencing serious problems with alcohol, the Armed Forces operate 15 Departments of Community Mental Health (DCHMs) to which Service personnel with substance misuse problems may be referred.


To better address the needs of those who have left the forces, in 2007 six Community Veterans’ Mental Health pilot projects were set up by the Department of Health and the Welsh and Scottish Governments at locations across Great Britain.


Discussion and conclusions There is clear evidence that a culture of heavier drinking is well established in Britain’s Armed Forces, and whilst this does not lead to serious problems for most Service personnel, a significant minority do experience problems of alcohol misuse, and these problems may continue or worsen after discharge from the Armed Forces.


The drinking culture of the Forces to large extent reflects the general drinking culture of the country, and in particular that of certain other professions where intense cooperation, camaraderie and socialising with colleagues are the norm. Given the frequently extremely dangerous nature of the Forces’ role, and the need to able to rely absolutely on colleagues in very high risk situations, it is not surprising that a culture of working hard and playing hard together has developed within the Armed Services.


Whilst recognising the role of alcohol as a social medium in the Forces, Alcohol Concern is keen to ensure that the Armed Services provide a healthy living and working environment – one that does not facilitate or encourage alcohol misuse – and that all current and former Service personnel can get appropriate and accessible support for alcohol problems.


Looking at recent statistics on alcohol consumption in the Forces compared with the general population, it is clear that much remains to be done to bring drinking in the military down to healthy levels. This will require a substantial shift in Forces drinking culture.


Education, information, and clear messages from senior staff about what is normal and acceptable will have a role to play. However, as in the population as a whole, such a cultural shift can be most effectively brought about by regulating the price and availability of alcohol. Moves by the Armed Forces in recent years to promote alcohol-free social opportunities are very much to be welcomed, and Alcohol Concern would encourage all three Armed Forces to systematically review their policies on the availability and pricing of alcohol on their bases as a means to reducing alcohol misuse and preventing problems before they occur.


The MoD should also take steps to implement the recommendation of Dr Andrew Murrison MP that Service personnel (including members of the reserve forces) should receive pre-discharge screening for mental health problems and alcohol misuse, and be followed up for further screening around 12 months after they leave the Armed Forces.


This measure would go some way to addressing the concerns expressed to us by Forces charities and local alcohol services that veterans may be discharged with a clean bill of health but later require support for problems such as alcohol misuse that appear to have developed during their time in the Forces.


“We should go further to reassure leavers that discovery of mental health problems will not hold up their discharge, and to ensure that they are returned to civilian life in good mental health.”


Dr Andrew Murrison MP, 2010


In terms of managing problems of alcohol misuse when they do occur, our research has indicated that many local alcohol treatment services are already aware that they have Armed Forces veterans amongst their clients, but do not always feel fully competent to manage issues arising from previous military service.


These agencies have, however, shown considerable interest in providing alcohol treatment services that are specifically tailored to the needs of current and former Service personnel, and which can demonstrate a good understanding of forces culture and the Armed Forces experience. There is, therefore, clearly considerable scope for improved and increased joint working between local alcohol treatment agencies, the Armed Forces, and the various statutory and voluntary agencies supporting veterans. 


Envoy Autumn 2012 33


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